Aug 4, 2017
In an effort to forestall communal disputes, Ghanaians have been advised to seek community mediation to enhance peaceful coexistence in communities.
This is because community mediation, which is a professional and advanced form of the mediation practice by traditional leaders, has been found to be highly productive in amicably resolving community conflicts and defusing security threats.
Ogyedom Nana AmaTsetsewah I, Tema Fantehene and private mediator made the call in an interview with ADR Daily in Tema .
Nana AmaTsetsewah I, who is also the manager of the Ogyedom ADR Center at Tema Site 10, said that individuals in the community have begun to realise the value of mediation, which is an ADR in mechanism for settling disputes.
Land, chieftaincy, family and institutional disputes which all have the potential of affecting the peace in the community, can be easily resolved through community mediation, she explained.
According to Nana, she has handled over 37 cases mostly in the region of marital disputes, child maintenance and other rents and tenant dispute within the past seven months, and 31 out of the 37 cases were successfully resolved.
Although community mediation has bright prospects, Nana Tsetsewah remained concerned about the low awareness among people at the grassroots.
“The future of community mediation is bright and can be nurtured and guided by educating both the public on its relevance to the upkeep of society,” she stressed.
In that regard, she called on the government to aid private mediators and establish community mediation centres (ADR Centres)to effectively carry out their duties of resolving dispute at the local level for the benefit of society.
Nana Tsetsewah also called on other chiefs and local leaders to commit themselves to settle disputes within their communities through ADR.
She advised that chiefs and elders, who engage in dispute resolution, to seek professional training to build their capacity for mediation at the community level.
By: Fred Gadese-Mensah/adrdaily.com
